College was certainly an adjustment for me; having so much time outside of my classes forced me to prioritize my coursework, and this newfound independence was unlike anything I’d experienced at home. I was my sole motivator not just to study and finish assignments, but also to take care of myself. I got off to a rocky start, and I’ve had a bit of a rocky finish, but I don’t think that I regret anything, as this is all a learning experience. Having three other roommates with interests similar to mine certainly helped me adjust, and I’ve become very close with all of them. Bio Sci Scholars is certainly a “fast pass” to making friends, as we’re in a small residence hall with like-minded people, which I’m very grateful for. I’ve maintained pretty decent grades as well, which is a plus in my book. I’m thankfully still interested in entomology, and have even joined Chrysalis Entomology Club. All in all, I think I’ve had a pretty solid first semester, and it’ll be something to brag about to inquiring family members over the holidays.
G.O.A.L.S.
Global Awareness: My Rural Sociology 1500 class focuses extensively on developing one’s “sociological imagination”, or one’s ability to connect personal experiences and symbols to society at large and to historical forces. In order to truly understand and appreciate cultures that aren’t our own, we must be able to look at them objectively, a task that requires some effort, as we view other cultures and habits by basing them off of our own culture. Coming from a small, somewhat rural area limited my point of view. Coming to college has allowed me to experience cultures and customs different from my own.
Original Inquiry: My end goal here at the Ohio State University is to get into research concerning the conservation of the general insect population. Although I’m not yet involved in research, I’m interested in Prof. David Denlinger’s insect diapause research lab, as well as Dr. Reed Johnson’s honeybee research lab.
Academic Enrichment: During high school, I accumulated 10 credit hours from rigorous AP classes, and took Enriched and College Prep classes. In my first semester here at Ohio State, I’m taking 16 credit hours, and plan on taking no less than 15 credits hours for my Spring semester. I have an Excel spreadsheet for each semester leading up to my graduation year in 2023 that lets me plan my future classes, as well as calculate potential number of credit hours. For my major, I have to take at least 9 hours of entomology classes over 3000, which will challenge me academically and mentally.
Leadership Development: I was apart of student council in high school, serving as the senior class treasurer. I was responsible for deciding whether or not to allocate school funds to certain projects, and was in charge of coming up with fundraising events for our class funds throughout the year. In college, I hope to attain a “governmental” position in Ohio State’s entomology club, Chrysalis, in order to help promote and expand its influence.
Service Engagement: During my sophomore, junior, and senior years of high school, I not only volunteered to help at school-sponsored blood drive, but I also donated blood multiple times throughout these 3 years. I also attended multiple city council meetings, not just for my own city, but for neighboring cities as well. I garnered over 50 hours of community service just during my senior year of high school. I plan on continuing the volunteer throughout my college career.
Resume
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1BBhIpMaiMwyEDgSWJxnJ3ctOcDnM_gPQ0gqnOrF9q08
Artifacts
It feels very odd to call live animals artifacts, but these 4 Madagascar hissing cockroaches have made such a lasting impact on my life that it would be wrong not to include them here.
For my 17th birthday, I spontaneously decided that I wanted hissing cockroaches as pets, so I ordered four of them on Amazon. They arrived on September 23, 2017 (1 day after my birthday) in not the best condition; their box had no indication of containing live animals, and their only insulation was newspaper. I’m very well aware of how odd it sounds, but it was love at first sight. I ended up naming them Pierre, Portia, Wendy, and Finn.
Unfortunately, only Wendy is still alive today, and is about 2 years old. Although the other 3 weren’t around for longer than a year or two, they inspired me to major in entomology. These 4 roaches were more than just gross bugs to me; they were pets, and they were family.
About Me
Hey, I’m Abbie Korn and I’m currently a freshman at the Ohio State University! I’m apart of the Biological Sciences Scholars program, and I’m currently working towards a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture with a major in Entomology and an undecided minor. From this, I hope to get into research concerning insect conservation efforts, as well as field work.
In high school, I was apart of student council, serving as senior class treasurer. I also helped form a volunteer group called the Courtyard Crew, in which we helped make our school and community more eco-friendly. We also cleaned up trash from various creeks, as well as our beach on Lake Erie.
Coming to college, I wanted to become more active in various organizations, as well as get involved with research opportunities fairly early. By joining the Biological Sciences Scholars program, I’ve been able to align myself with people who share similar interests to me, as well as discover potential research opportunities, and get involved in organizations outside of school. I’ve joined tOSU’s Chrysalis Entomology Club, a group that provides opportunities for interaction with other entomology students and faculty to discuss careers and research.
Growing up, I’ve always enjoyed bugs, but didn’t realize until late 2018 that I could make a career out of them. While I want to contribute to insect conservation efforts, I also want to lessen the stigma against them, and show that not all bugs are “gross” or “creepy.”
